The Wilmingtonian., 1887-04-23
Ireland and Coercion.

The meeting at tho Opera House Monda,
evening clearly demonstrated the opinion o.
people of this community upon the question
of Coercion.
The speakers repr esented what there OK
lists of dtfinite individual opinion among the
leading minds in Delaware. One genera
idea worthy of recording, and deduced from
the assertions of the speakers is that coercion
is what is the fitting policy to practice upor
the English government should 1t persist il
its tyrannical measures embodied in the Irisf
Coercion bill.
But alresjy the House of Commons hs,
passed by second reading this very bill, ,an6
aud that by majority of 100.
The vote was recorded at the Identical
hour that the resolutions of sympathy with
unhappy iceland were being endorsed by
he mass meeting at the Opera House here.
Senator Gray proffered substantial aid to
Ireland's friends, Governor Biggs offered
,ifies to aid in liberating the down-trodden
Irish.
But meetings similar to this Of ours are
being held all over this country. Quite a
number of the State legislatures including
that Of our own have passed resolutions re-
monstrating against the iniquity of the Coer-
cion bill. The most glaring outrage in the
shameful catalogue of restrictions and limi.
tatiops of popular rights as contained in the
bill is the unconstitutional clause of chang
ing the venue arbitrarily from England to
Ireland. The idea of course is that the govern.
ment being fully aware that it would be next
to impossible to gain conviction in jury
trial for political offences In Ireland has en-.
acted that at the wish of the prosecuting at
torney change of venue may be obtained
from England to Ireland In order that the
unfortunate Irish may be tried by an English
jury, tue government prosecutor looking OF
hoping for more probability of success by
that arrangement.
But as the speakers pointed out Monday
night this is a most outrageous invasion OF
lndividua, right as conceded to all people OF
Britain by the Bill OF Rights.
Senator Gray aptly illustrated this poin,
as follows:-
What is the Coercion bill? We have pu,
upon the list of indisputable things, some
thing automatic, that no government is right
that does not rest on the assent of the gov.
erned. Now, as citizens of this republic o.
| ,epublios We wish to resssert an aDdying be
lief in this blessed prrnciple. This Coercion
oil, it puts Irlshmen all over Ireland undei
The rule of English stipendiary magistrates
who can arrest without charge any man and
place him in Jail for six months. Now put
the case to yourselves, how would you like a
Justice OF the peace 70 question you, arrest,
aud put you in New Castle jail if your an.
swers did not suit him? 1t is against TIM
,aw to make combinations not 10 pay lent,
Also a man may be sent across to Euglano
Delaware, if you could be taken to Wash.
| lugton or San Francisco instead of being
| tried by jury OF men from the place in
which you liyeP My fellow-cltizens we dt
not th,nk long enough over the serious phase,
of this enactmentr Our thews and sinewr
Jingle with the desire of opportunity to re
sist such lawe. Thomas Jefferson, in hi
charge against the tyranny of the mothe
country catalogued the most hoinous Grim
rs ''that we are taken across the seas to b
tried for pretended Offences" and for thi
the 13 colonies took up arms, &c.
The Hon. George Bates said:
The Coercion bill created a storm of wratl
even in England. The proposition to take
prisoner from Ireland to England fell fat
Among the new legislation is the enactmen
that guilt is to he promised until innocenc,
is proved. This, the very antithesis to ou
law, is the proposed law of Ireland to-day
Have we not right to protest against suct
law making-legislation that would max,
the iron rule of Alva but light?
Other speakers referred to this poiu
which undoubtedly is the most fragrant.
wrong one the various clauses Of the Coer
| cinn hnI